


Tell Me a Lie

by Anonymous



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, F/M, M/M, New Beginnings, Past Relationship(s), a lot of gay/bisexual struggles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27890047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: When Sehun lied to Jongin about moving out to another city and even changing his job he didn't think Jongin would end up being his boss. Even more awkward than meeting your exboyfriend is meeting your ex-fuckbuddy who you used to have feelings for.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23
Collections: Anonymous





	Tell Me a Lie

Sehun learned that when you grow up and get a job, you start noticing how people always get excited when there is a new face in the office. Maybe it's because everyone is tired of seeing the same people everyday. Maybe it's because new workers usually bring in a different energy and experience to the office. It could be because everyone secretly read or watched romantic comedies in their free time and imagined themselves being the protagonists and the new workmate their soulmate. 

Sehun wasn't excited for the new addition to the office. 

The hired man was his new boss. He hadn't met him but he doubted he would be as soft with him as his old boss before he retired. His old boss wouldn't even be mad he was running late and still decided to go for a coffee before work. He would understand his need for caffeine.

The first things bosses do when they are hired is check how everyone is working. Sehun's arts were supposed to be ready on Monday; today was Thursday, and Sehun was tired just thinking about how he should finally export them today. Sehun looked at the menu considering whether he should buy coffee for his new boss. After all, anyone would be grateful for a cup of coffee after they realized how awful the coffee the company provided really is. 

Sehun dried the sweat in his forehead with his hand, and wondered, as always, how the place managed to be hotter than outside on a warm day but colder on freezing days.The coffee shop wasn't the favorite hang out place for employees of the company because of its interior. The place wasn't outstanding with its gray walls, wooden booths with used-to-be-white yellowish tablecloths and awful illumination that always forced two or more of his workmates to turn on their phone flashlights any time one of them wanted to take a picture for their Instagram. The coffeehouse was that awful yet he had to make a line to get a cup because they simply made the best coffee in this side of town, the coffee was cheap and the place was a block away from his office. 

This was the excuse he told himself as he ordered a double shot espresso for himself and an almond milk latte for his new boss. He strongly believed that if someone did hate the best drink ever made by men, it would be a monster; he would gladly find out as soon as possible if his new boss was a monster. He made his order, paid for it and had to make a second line to receive it. 

A familiar voice said his name behind him when the barista was handing him the two cups of coffee and Sehun, out of habit, turned his head to meet the owner of the voice. 

And that's where he met his ex boyfriend. Cross that. Meeting an ex wouldn't be as awkward as meeting his ex-fuck buddy. A man he hadn't seen his college days. The same one he had broken up making up an excuse on how he had to move out from the city for a job. Sehun gulped guiltily and forced a smile into his face, so it didn't look like he was cursing out his bad luck of the day. 

"Jongin, hi! How have you been?" He took a sip of his coffee not remembering he hadn't even mixed the sugar yet. At least it gave him an opportunity to excuse his grimace. 

"Oh, it's really you. I've been great, got a new job and everything, and you?" Jongin kept asking him from the waiting line. His eye smile distracting Sehun for a second too long. He looked at his coffee remembering the reason why he decided to break up. 

"Fine, I guess." Sehun muttered. He wondered if Jongin ever realized his lie. If he had asked around for him. If he had found out moving out was just an excuse he used to run away from things getting too serious. 

"So, are you back in the city or?" Jongin said as he stepped ahead, advancing in line.

That answered enough of Sehun's questions. From a quick glance at any of Sehun's social media you could realize he was still living in the same city. His instagram profile was full of Sehun's favorite local coffee shops and bars, surrounded by photos of his dog, Vivi, in local parks. Sehun sighed internally. Even after years, he kept being disappointed at Jongin not being interested enough in him. Even if that was never part of the deal. 

"No, actually, I'm just staying until today to meet a client." Sehun lied before thinking about it. It would have been so easy to say yes and ask him for a date. Ask him if he was dating someone else. Getting back to the not relationship they had. Or at least saying yes and not having to wonder every few weeks, at 3am being all drunk and out of it, if he had ever discovered his lie. It would be so easy to clear all the misunderstandings and confess that he had lied to protect his heart. It would be easy on theory, but in reality, Sehun could never do it. He would rather live with the lie the rest of his life. Hell, he would even rather just move out of the city instead of admitting his faults. 

"Oh," Jongin looked like he wanted to talk more but Sehun wanted to just run out of the place.

"I'm running late so, " Sehun dragged the last word looking at his bare wrist as if he was wearing a watch. Jongin nodded. 

"It was." Jongin paused and Sehun watched his ex-fuck buddy eyes go slowly down and then back up to meet his face. Was he checking him out? Sehun blushed at the thought. Jongin smirked at his reaction before finishing the sentence. "Nice meeting you."

"You too." Sehun replied instantly , and before that smirk could bring back forgotten memories, he practically ran out of the store.

It was a mistake. From lying to him years ago, to going for coffee this morning, and especially to not be wary of how dangerous Jongin was to his heart and his libido.

Sehun walked up the stairs to the office on the second floor, still dazed as he took a seat in his chair.

"Thank you! How did you know I needed coffee?" His friend and workmate, Minseok said, as he took the latte out of his hands to take a sip. 

"Is there any day when you actually come on time?" Chanyeol asked, taking an earbud out.

"I would rather have you coming late instead of wearing the same pair of sweats everyday," Dahyun said, turning on her computer and taking the seat between Chanyeol and Sehun. Chanyeol started bickering back with her and Sehun just ignored them both, used to their noise. 

"That was for the new boss, is he here yet?" Sehun asked Minseok pointing at the latte, the latter was now drinking cooly as if he was on an advertisement. But that's just how he did everything. 

"No, so I will take this. What he doesn't know can't hurt him." Minseok said taking his tongue out teasing the youngest. Sehun watched him get into the Marketing office. He looked beside him at the designer and community manager bickering as gulped down the rest of his coffee. Why was there no one normal in this office?

He turned on his computer and walked to the kitchen to throw his empty cup to the trash. There was a pan on the middle of the counter with a note on top of it. One of the girls from the marketing team had brought in a package of cookies she had bought from a charity fundraiser. He wasn't really sure on who Yeri was, since the department had hired new interns, but he was sure he had to thank her because the cookies were the best he had tasted in a while. He opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of juice he had with his name. 

After a minifight Chanyeol and Dahyun had in the past for a leftover piece of cake, the company had a rule of labeling your food in the office's kitchen. If something didn't have a name you were free to take it. His old boss would always make sure to take them under the excuse he wanted everyone else to follow the rule. Whether that was the real reason or not, Sehun would never know. But it did work as everyone in the office would follow it. 

Sehun went back to his seat to take out the spare toothbrush and toothpaste he had in a drawer. He saw Minseok and other people from the Marketing department go inside the meeting room. 

"A client just came," Dahyun said as she followed his curious gaze. While it was uncommon for a client to visit on a Wednesday morning, it wasn't really prohibited or something. He shrugged and took his things to the bathroom.

When he came back to his seat, he found everyone huddled in a group and chatting excitedly. 

"What's the news then?" Sehun said as he sat on his chair and opened up his last recent work to finish it off. 

"Sehun, brother, we have been blessed by the heavens, our prayers have been heard, there's a god out there and we're his favorites. " The receptionist said, acting out every phrase. Sehun chuckled at Mina's theatrics. 

"The boss is super hot, dude," Dahyun said as she walked back to her desk. Mina pouted at her. 

"But he's obviously straight, so straight I could use him as a ruler to fix this damn crooked line. Dahyun, fix this design, I don't think it's supposed to go like this." Chanyeol said as he erased the image from the post he was uploading. Dahyun groaned and opened back the design on her computer. 

"Why do you think he's obviously straight?" Sejeong, the photographer and video producer of the company, said reclining on Chanyeol's desk as she finished her bottle of soda.

"Well, he isn't obviously gay as Sehun."

Sehun laughed, not even denying it. His sexuality was an open topic in the office as everyone else sex life. Perhaps, it was all advertising companies that worked like that or perhaps all the most chatty workers got to work in a single company. 

"Sehun is not obviously gay, he's an obvious bottom, that's different." Dahyun said, frowning. Sehun opened his mouth to defend himself before being shut up by Sejeong. 

"We talked about my sex life yesterday, it's only fair if we talk about yours today." Sejeong said, closing down the empty bottle and pointing at him with it. 

"Same thing, " Chanyeol answered back to Dahyun. 

"It's not the same thing. If there's gay bottoms, there has to be gay tops." Mina said as if she was explaining the most obvious rule in the universe. 

They all looked at him for confirmation. 

"I guess? I'm a proud bottom, though." 

"Is that the first thing I should listen to as I step into the office?" Junmyeon groaned stepping into the office and plopping down on his chair. 

"Is there anyone here that actually comes on time?" Chanyeol asked flustered. 

Everyone answered him with a shut up. They explained to Junmyeon how their new boss was the hottest man in the room. Even Sejeong, swore on her unbiased lesbian heart, that the man was a total hottie. Mina told him how they were fighting whether someone could be "obviously gay" or "obviously straight". Junmyeon denied it. And gave the best example for it. He had been married for four years to a man, and none of them had ever realized he was bisexual before his husband once came into the office to leave him his phone after he had left it home.

Everyone agreed almost instantly. They had thought he was straight, especially after one of his ex-girlfriends had come to the company to hire them to manage her company's social media. Junmyeon could be the description of an average straight man, his hobby was basketball, he either dressed sportly or like a fifty year old man, he liked alternative rock bands and his screensaver was always some girl group. He proved almost every stereotype wrong when the guy next to him, Sehun, proved every single one right.

Sehun had met gay men that felt offended when they met someone that clicked every box of the gay stereotyped profile. Telling him he was the reason why people thought so lowly of them. Junmyeon never thought of him that way. He would treat him as a younger brother, and quickly became his friend outside of work. He was the one that he could tell every romantic interest and struggle. He knew how hard it was to live not knowing if you should grow up to the expectations, go exactly the other way or just live trying to ignore people's prejudices. 

Junmyeon had met gay men that felt offended when they met men that lived exactly the opposite, many of his crushes when he was young had called him out. Saying he was more heterosexual than gay, and that he was greedy for saying he was a bisexual. Saying he would probably just fuck men as a college experience and then go marry a woman. Now he was five years happily married to a man, and he was still living his life without worrying about how "gay" he looked. 

Sehun shared a small smile with Junmyeon. Then the oldest reminded everyone that it was still working hours and when their boss finished his meeting, it would be best if he found them all working. Sehun asked him if he had plans for lunch because he needed advice for something. Junmyeon arched his eyebrow but told him he was craving for Chinese. 

Sehun groaned annoyed but nodded anyways. The problem with Junmyeon is that he always craved Chinese, but since he was his only friend who knew his story with Jongin he would have to agree. Sehun had told him his story on how he had gotten an 'official' fuck buddy in college, how he had fallen in love with him and how he had lied about moving out. Everything except on this version the man was named Kai.

Which wasn't actually a lie since he had met him in a dating app where he was using that username. 

Sehun’s attention returned to his computer. The photo editing app opened with an advertisement for some spicy sausages, and it was Sehun’s job to make them look as the best food you have ever seen. This was the last advertisement of the marketing campaign, the last of ten photo ads for social media, two video advertisements and one billboard. Considering their usual clients, this was an easy, small campaign, but the company had been with them since the beginning so his bosses usually asked them to do their best. A phrase Sehun constantly mocked because, obviously, no boss would ask you to do the worst for a client. 

Sehun didn't want to be so behind his work, but when he had to take a day off three weeks ago on a Friday to take his dog, Vivi, to the vet it wasn’t so busy. Then he came back on Monday to realize one of their clients, a local but prestigious bank, decided to totally change their image. Logos, website interface, brochures, advertisements, all needed to change in between two weeks. More sleepless nights and extra jars of coffee for everyone in the office. Everyone managed to keep up with their jobs except Sehun. It hadn’t been a lucky week since the advertisements he was already doing were for one of those clients who don’t know what they want and think that making ads is just pasting a picture into a color background and text in arial.

He wasn’t about to fight with a pizza parlor owner on why the cursive font made no sense in a design about hawaiian pizza, and how it would probably be hard for their customers to read the text, or how the advertisement couldn´t include a message about the pandemic because it would get banned by Facebook and Instagram. He gave them the advice and once it was obvious they weren’t listening to him, he just made them sign an agreement where they assumed responsibility for the design and how the policies of the sites could take their material down. Between constant meetings with the client and one with company’s lawyers, Sehun lost four days in what was supposed to be a one day work. The client didn’t even sign the last document since the other owner of the parlor got involved and called out the man for being totally ridiculous. He offered Sehun an apology for the inconvenience and assured him his design was more than enough for their company. Sehun couldn’t even curse the pizza parlor since the second owner was so nice and to avoid future problems with that client, the company had promised they would also add another free advertisement for media, which, of course, it was also Sehun’s responsibility to create. He was already behind the due date for the sausage's campaign when he finally finished the pizza ads. 

After checking the last details for the advertisement, a visual recipe on how to make a dish with their client’s sausages, Sehun exported the document and almost sent it to his old boss's mail out of habit. He still didn't know his new boss's mail or even his name so he just uploaded the images on the company's shared drive, and saved the originals in the organized folder for that brand. 

"Hey, you finished?" Dahyun asked next to him, pulling her wheeled chair closer to his seat. Sehun just answered with a wary look, eyebrows frowning and eyes squinting with suspicion, and Dahyun snorted at his expression. "Don't look at me like that! When have I ever hurt your little ass?"

"Do you want examples in alphabetical or chronological order?" Chanyeol snickered beside them.

"I need you to take these sketches to the conference room, Minseok already approved them so you just need to knock and give them to him." Dahyun ignored Chanyeol's side comment as she handed Sehun a red folder, color red because their company kept their red aesthetic to heart and would never use the classic yellow folders every other office used. 

"Why won't you go yourself?" Chanyeol asked, still pouring after being ignored.

"Because I don't want to, " she answered teasingly Chanyeol before meeting Sehun's amused glare. "Just kidding. I need to visit a client with Sejeong, please do it in about ten minutes. Okay? Thank you." 

Sehun sighed and placed the folder beside his keyboard, and immediately started on his next project: an advertisement for one of his usual clients. The Mexican restaurant had been with them for a little over two years and they kept a contract for two advertisements a week. Something simple, mostly related to their current promos and some festivities. While the job could be expensive, both companies had a mutual agreement giving each other big discounts so the company workers could eat tacos, chilaquiles and quesadilla at a cheap price. 

He hesitated before opening the conference room. Minseok obviously needed the drafts or he wouldn't ask for them since he hated interruptions at meetings with their clients, but Sehun would hate that the first time he would meet his new boss was barging through the conference room door. But his boss could also hate him if he didn't present the drafts too so breathing in deeply, Sehun knocked thrice the wooden door before opening the doorknob.

"Sir," he tried to look professional as he addressed Minseok, "excuse me." He bowed to everyone in the meeting room and walked to Minseok, handing him the folder. His coworker offered him a small smile and a quick thanks before opening the folder and giving the drafts to the other two men, not even waiting for Sehun to leave the room. Sehun, however, was used to how meetings worked, and quickly walked out of the room. Just after he closed the meeting room door he realized one of the men that Minseok had given a draft to was no other than Kim Jongin.

**Author's Note:**

> I started this months ago for a fest however it had another details in the prompt that I ended up doing it a little too close to sexual harassment and I would obviously not post that. After withdrawing from the fest, and editing it a lot, I think I'm more confident with showing this to the world instead.


End file.
